When I was a child, my grandparents and I sat on the porch and ... visited.
Come sit on the porch with me and let's visit. May I get you a glass of tea?

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Secrets Kept is Released!

I am tickled to pieced to present Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe.

NOTE: be sure to scroll down and enter for a chance to win a lot of wonderful prizes! Including a signed copy of Secrets Kept.

Jennette is a friend, colleague, and an amazing woman! We sat down and visited about this exciting release of her first full-length Novel. Here's what we said:

Jennette, Welcome to my porch! I am so excited about this book. I loved the story and I cannot wait for the sequel. But enough about me. Tell me: I think Christian Fiction writers always have an amazing God moment or two when they write their stories. Did you have one? What was it?

It’s been going on 10 years since I started seriously writing and my memory isn’t want it used to be. Ha! But what comes to mind is the day I was reading through the parable of the talents. The one where they are supposed to do something with what they received from their master, and God asked me, what are you doing with what I gave you? And I was like, what did you give me? And the word writing popped into my mind, literally, I could see it. So I set out to write. Who knows where this will go, but I am writing. ;-)

What inspired you to write Secrets Kept?

My spiritual journey. When I started out, having no clue about the industry, I desired to create an allegory of how truth can set us free, but not obvious like Pilgrim’s Progress or Hind’s Feet on High Places. Yeah, that didn’t last long. I abandoned the idea of allegory after the second rewrite as the characters took on more life than chess pieces and the real story began to unfold.

Are any of your characters based on a real person? Can you tell us who?

None of my characters are based on real people. Sorry to disappoint!

How much and what sources did you use for your research to get the time period right.

After I got the rough draft done, I spent a lot of time surfing the web and borrowing books from the library researching ancient history up through the 1600’s to get an idea of what life might be like during those times, but then I branched out from there. And I probably spent way too much time thinking about the lay of the land and how that would influence weather patterns. I did buy a Lord of the Ring’s Weapon and Warfare book. J

The made-up language seemed authentic, what was your secret to creating that?

Oh, I don’t know if I can reveal that yet. ;-)

What are your hobbies, other interests besides writing?

Hmmm…parenting? I love playing board games/cards, etc., with friends. I love being creative whether it’s painting, drawing, sewing, cooking, baking, etc. I love outdoorsy type activities. I love collecting rocks, and it shows. You should see my kitchen! Oh, and reading!

Can you tell us something interesting about you that most people do not know?

Um…hmmm… I have swords? Or is that just expected? Sorry, I’ve got nothing!

LOL, Jennette, I think having swords is unusual, but then again, who knows. I think you are an amazing woman, writer, and a wonderful mom and wife. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with me and my friends about this exciting season in your life. I love it that God asked you to articulate your stewardship and you stepped up and delivered! Not everybody is so courageous! I pray many, many successes with this book and all the others that will follow!

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog!

Of course! Jennette, you are welcome on my porch any time!!!

Secrets Kept

by J.L. Mbewe

With a curse, she will build an
army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against
her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on
the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an
elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction
of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her
mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress
has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them
before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

More from J.L. Mbewe! Here are three short stories which are related to Secrets Kept. Really good reads, I might add!

Welcome to the World of Nälu!

The Tales.

Can a desert princess find love with a foreign king?

Johari lives in the shadow of her beautiful sister until a foreign king notices her, but in her haste to prove herself worthy of affection she finds herself compromised and on a difficult journey to make things right.

The teaching of the Guardians has guided Semine's footsteps since her infancy. When her mentor shows up with information contrary to what she's been taught, she doubts her decision to follow in their footsteps. She must decide if there is life beyond what she has always known or embrace a new, mysterious path and reject the Guardians' legacy.

Elothryn keeps the darkest secret of Nälu: The cursed dagger of Raemoja. A weapon powerful enough to release the greatest evil from the underworld. For generations, his family has lived without incident until now. The hunters have his scent and will stop at nothing to reclaim the dagger. Elothryn and his son flee, seeking help, but will they find it?

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things. For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at http://www.jlmbewe.com/